When innocent people suffer from a government’s mistakes, it is a sign of high moral character to accept responsibility, pay restitution, and make necessary changes to ensure the blameless never suffer again. There are, though, some groups who recognize their untoward behavior causes great harm and revel in the thought of repeating, over and over again, their intentionally bad deeds if they can profit financially and politically. Republicans are notorious for repeating policies they know inflict pain on the economy, but instead of changing their behavior, they intend on making the poor pay for their economic malfeasance.

On Tuesday, Representative Paul Ryan announced his budget proposal to rein in spending and reduce the nation’s deficit with a ringing endorsement from Republican presidential hopeful Willard Romney. Ryan’s Heritage Foundation proposal included the Republican’s requisite attempt to destroy Medicare and replace it with a privatization scam to reward the insurance industry while depriving seniors of their lifelong investment in retirement-age healthcare. It is apparent that Republicans failed to learn last year’s lesson when outraged senior citizens railed against privatizing the wildly popular and successful Medicare program, but their wanton desire to eliminate safety nets overrides any comprehension of the public’s indignation. Like every Republican, Ryan asserts that it takes boldness to make difficult choices to reduce the nation’s deficit they insist is President Obama’s fault.

It is important to recognize the nation’s deficit is, in great part, due to Bush-Republicans propensity for unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy, an unfunded Medicare prescription plan, and ill-advised wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans fantasize that President Obama increased the deficit from his first day in office, and the media has done its best to perpetuate that fallacy. One conservative pundit, Mark Knoller, wrote on CBS’s Political Hotsheet that the national deficit “was $10.626 trillion on President Bush’s last day in office, which coincided with President Obama’s first day,” and he attributes the 2009 deficit to President Obama. He, like conservatives are wont to do, is lying. On the President’s first day, and indeed the first year of his term, the 2009 budget was put in place by George W. Bush and not Barack Obama. Knoller knows he is lying, but it makes his argument believable to morons who lack a basic understanding of the way the country’s budgets work.

In Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity,” he proposes reducing the deficit over the next decade, but according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Ryan’s plan will add more to the deficit than if Congress maintains the status quo. Ryan’s budget would add $3.127 trillion to the deficit between 2013 and 2022, but the CBO projected that if “current laws generally remain unchanged, the federal government would incur deficits totaling $2.887 trillion from 2013 to 2022.” One reason the Ryan plan adds to the deficit is reducing federal tax revenue by $4 trillion over the next decade. The plan also replaces six individual tax brackets with a top bracket of 25% and lower bracket of 10%. It is little wonder wealthy elitists like Romney support Ryan’s plan because they will get a 10% cut in their tax liability while middle and lower income earners will see a tax increase. Under President Obama, a family of four paid a tax rate of 4.68% in 2010, so at 10%, working families will see a tax increase of 5.32% while the wealthiest Americans get a 10% tax cut. It is important to remember that wealthy Americans like Romney are not taxed on all their income which is why Willard pays around 15% in income taxes even though his tax rate is 35%, so the Ryan plan may allow the wealthy like Romney to pay about 5% in taxes. If the wealthy who benefit from Republicans’ unfunded tax cuts that increase the deficit are not helping reduce the debt, then who will fund Ryan’s deficit reduction plan? The poor, children, and seniors will be burdened with drastic cuts to reduce the deficit.

Ryan’s largest cuts come from eliminating $1.5 trillion the Affordable Care Act uses to purchase health insurance for 30 million Americans, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). The cuts to SNAP offer Republicans a two-for-one insult because besides sending 3.9 million Americans, including 1.7 million children, into poverty, it will cost over one million jobs in the food industry. In fiscal year 2011, SNAP provided food assistance to 45 million Americans that enabled 14,000 Americans to keep their jobs for every billion dollars spent by SNAP recipients, or about one million jobs that will be lost with Ryan’s deficit reduction plan.

Ryan claims he is willing to make the tough choices in reducing the nation’s deficit, but he chooses to give the wealthy a huge tax cut, increase defense spending, and inflict serious pain on the poor. Congress would do better by the American people, and the deficit, if they maintained the status quo instead of slashing programs for the majority of Americans. Ryan’s plan adds more to the nation’s debt and reduces much-needed revenue by $4 trillion that is just more Bush-era Republican economic malfeasance, and to top it off, he wants to repeal Frank-Dodd financial reforms so banks can drive the economy into another recession and leave taxpayers to bail out the banking industry again.

Republican economic policy is responsible for a large part of the nation’s deficit, and instead of taking responsibility and changing their entitlements-for-the-wealthy agenda, they are proposing making the poor responsible for deficit reduction by cutting programs like healthcare and food stamps. The wealthy that benefited from Bush-Republican tax cuts get a substantial reduction in their tax rate and low-to-middle income earners will pay a higher rate than under President Obama. It is true that the deficit needs to be brought under control, but nearly every economist who does not work for the Heritage Foundation agrees that the current fragile economic situation is not the time for austerity measures. If Ryan was serious about reducing the deficit, he would increase revenue by raising taxes on the wealthy instead of giving them a 10% tax cut.

Ryan cannot help himself from returning this year with a cut-and-paste rendition of last year’s Heritage Foundation Path to Prosperity, or repeating Bush-Republican mistakes that are still increasing the deficit with less revenue and unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy, two unnecessary wars, and a Medicare prescription plan. Ryan, like Willard Romney, considers deficit reduction a necessity for a robust economic recovery, but only if reductions come for programs that affect the poor while reducing taxes for the rich. It is little wonder Romney is so supportive of Ryan’s proposal because unlike children, seniors, and the working poor, he stands to increase his wealth at about the same rate as the deficit grows under Ryan’s plan. Perhaps the title of Ryan’s plan is apropos, because it is definitely a path to more prosperity for the wealthy that the poor will pay for. However, making the poor pay for Republicans’ painful economic policies and deficit reduction is nothing new, and like Ryan’s budget proposal, it is more Bush-Republican gifts to the wealthy that will lead to perpetual deficits the poor will pay for until they have been starved to death. It leads one to ponder; who will Republicans hold responsible in ten years when Ryan or Romney’s budget have increased the deficit to unsustainable levels after the poor have been eliminated from existence? Based on their current modus operandi, it will most certainly be President Obama.

Republicans Pass Blame For Their Own Deficit Failures On To The Poor was written by Rmuse for PoliticusUSA.

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.

Mocking Democrats’ Deficit Concerns, GOP Passes… Some people may errantly conclude that Republicans, as typical conservatives, are so set in their ways they are naturally unwilling to change, but although that is a very accurate conclusion, it is not the case when it comes to the nation's deficit.

20 Responses to Republicans Pass Blame For Their Own Deficit Failures On To The Poor

Keith Walsh

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 10:25 am

Someone needs to slap Paul Ryan, HARD!…He’s an absurd ego maniac! Strip him of the right to keep up the hateful rhetoric and blame game, so that the truth is honestly dealt with. TRUTH – The Rich get richer on the backs of the poor!

charles Slakan

Sun, Mar 25th, 2012 at 11:11 am

Paul Ryan became a U.S. Congressman in 1999. G.W. Bush was in office until Jan 2009, G.W. Bush ran up the largest deficits in our country’s history, even though he was left with a surplus by President Clinton.
Where was Paul Ryan’s CONSCIENCE between 1999 and 2009?
His conscience didn’t show up until the tea baggers got on the scene around the time Obama was trying to get insurance for all Americans that Paul Ryan has enjoyed since 1999 and the medical plan him and his family will get for the rest of their lives paid for by tax payers.
The tax cuts produced almost no jobs but cost trillions in UNFUNDED debt and Ryan thinks this failed socialistic plan should be continued.
Tax welfare for the corporation and the privileged rich.

Reynardine

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 10:29 am

Read Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine”. Creating huge debts and deficits with the ultimate purpose of increasing stratification, disenfranchising “the little people”, and destroying democracy is exactly what the Friedmanists do. They do it with premeditation and malice aforethought, and though they enjoy the power and privilege accruing to themselves, they absolutely revel in destroying the lives of those they regard as lesser beings. “Chicago economics” is actually economics forged into a weapon for sadistic psychopaths. In this quest, they will ally themselves with reactionary religious and social movements, whether Taliban or Tealiban, but we, at least, must be clear who is the user and who is the used. I can read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” or “Justice in Jerusalem” with equanimity, because at least those bastards lost. These bastards are still winning.

Johnee

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 10:49 am

I can tell you that the majority of families with children applying for SNAP during the recession were not bums looking for a hand out! Most were hard working people that were embarrassed and ashamed that they could barely pay the bills and feed their kids. I know… because I was one of them!! Before we got back on our feet, my business took a dive and we lost everything. I had to work 3 part time low paying jobs just to try to stay afloat. Ryan, you piece of &%$#!!

Older_Wiser

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 11:02 am

Great post! I’m also wondering how much input ALEC had in this; most of it, I’d say. They are the Big Gun trying to dismantle govt programs. Taking a cue from Norquist on Federal programs, they’re not only going nuclear on “entitlements” like SS, Medicare and programs for the poor, those without jobs, etc., they are attempting to turn the clock back over 200 years and re-write the important 10th Amendment for assurance that the laws they are now writing for states, like Voter ID, abortion laws and birth control laws, etc. are solidified: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/26/1054875/-States-Rights-My-

charles Slakan

Sun, Mar 25th, 2012 at 11:23 am

Any congressman that takes an oath to Norquist after having taken an oath of office to serve the USA is a traitor.
How can an oath that is accompanied by a salary and swearing allegiance to our nation include an oath to any other entity for any reason without having betrayed their oath and the spirit of the U.S.Constitution.
It’s one thing to take a policy stand and stand on it, and stand with those that share your stand as in political parties; it’s another thing to take an oath to any entity when you have already taken an oath to serve our nation.
Grover Norquist is not the bad guy;it’s any congress person that swears an oath to him after having already sworn to serve our nation and being paid and insured for free and sometimes forever for that oath; they are the traitors.
Congress gets things done by compromise, an oath that keeps them from a compromise keeps them from doing what they swore to do and that is to do the work of congress.
Shame on them.
They were willing to shut down the gov’t,if a balanced budget amendment was not attached to a bill that paid our nations bills(paying foreign and domestic bills are required by the US Constitution).In essence willing to shut down and violate the Constitution if the oath they swore to Nordquist was not upheld.

Sally

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 11:17 am

This is a scary time. When I think about the distractions the right sent up (Obama is not a citizen, Obama hates whites, Obama is weak on terror, Obama hates rich people) and all the while the GOP declares war on women, war on the poor, war on workers, war on everyone except rich white guys. Wonder why that is? These people must be stopped before America becomes a theocratic dictatorship with Third World implications.

Sugapea

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 2:14 pm

Yes, This is a very scary time!
The way the GOP has dumbed-down so many of our fellow American’s even in ‘Blue States’ is more than dangerous!

We must all get our there and work for reelection of Obama! Not our ideal candidate…but imagine what these Pubs will do further to destroy America if they regain power.

‘Talk-up’ this absurd Ryan/Republican plan with everyone you encounter, we are the foot soldiers…use your knowledge/strength to influence the people around you.

Get people registered to vote…
America cannot sit this one out!

Reynardine

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 11:52 am

I followed Wiser’s link to the Daily Kos article. Despite what the Tenthers claim, water cannot belong to a state. Let us illustrate.

1. Look at a map of “Russia”, however you define it. Note plenty of rivers.

2. This land was once ruled by the Tsar, titled “Samoderzhavets” (he who holds everything).

3. Naturally, he was deemed also to be the holder of the waters, but

4. He who holds everything nonetheless could not hold his water.

Water cannot be held. Sooner or later, it moves on. We’re only borrowing it, and we have a duty to return it to the flow in good condition.

Tim

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 11:53 am

Ryan is a traitor to the people he represents or is truly beyond understanding fiscal issue’s. We don’t have a debt problem we have a revenue problem and as long as we allow the “Ryan’s” of the world to continue controlling the message we get to live like a bunch of third world idiots.

sherrie

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 1:39 pm

Its become apparent that the republicans no longer even try to hide their love affair with the 1% and big oil.By reading through the comments here and on other sites, its clear that the american people are aware and angry at a government that refuses to listen to the people. American people need to show them who they are supposed to represent. We can use our voice in many ways to enact change. One of those ways to call people like ryan, the office staff after 25 calls have to start keeping track, so make those calls, emails and postings and sharing links and maybe we can get thru to some of the fox news zombies

Grung_e_Gene

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 1:50 pm

The Right-Wing has always balanced the pampered economic lifestyles of the 1% on the Backs of the Poor.

Civil Rights Olmos

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 2:14 pm

The REPUBLICANS want to burn and slash everything. They have no plan for America they have no vision they live in total DARKNESS.

A Walkaway

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 4:07 pm

We talked with a woman today who said that it was impossible to even begin to try to save anything… that every penny went to just paying the bills and surviving.

That is the story of most people… even those with jobs that are considered to be middle class.

One disaster, and you’re behind the 8 ball… and if you aren’t really REALLY lucky, homeless.

But the Republicans don’t understand that… to them people like her just need to work harder! I just wonder if she realized her situation was largely the result of the Republican party and their pampering the 1%.

majii

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 5:15 pm

So true! Your comment reminds me of GWB congratulating a woman at one of his events for working 3 jobs! These people are clueless. Ryan used Social Security benefits from his dad’s death to pay for college, but he is so focused on making sure that other kids who lose a parent may not have that opportunity. He would privatize Social Security. If the economy takes a downturn in the future, and there’s nothing in the account to help any of the parent’s survivors, what will happen to them? Ryan doesn’t seem to care. Someone who can get close enough to him at one of his town halls should confront him and ask him about this possible scenario. I think his response would be the standard GOP response–avoid answering the question and blame his inability/unwillingness to answer the question by telling a lie on PBO.

majii

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 5:05 pm

I’ve had more than enough of the far RW authoritarian followers who are willing to jump on this train heading to “Destruction Junction,” and if I were totally heartless and cruel, I’d say let the b@$turds have to live under the Ryan budget. I can envision the squealing now as they realize that the Ryan Plan has them in its targets, too. The only way some people are capable of learning anything is through experience.

Shiva (Moderator)

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 6:55 pm

I think I have this figured out. They are going to lie their way into office. If you havent seen Maddow’s expose of Romney’s lying you should. Boehner lies, Cantor lies, Ryan lies, they all lie.

Its all they have

Ebony

Fri, Mar 23rd, 2012 at 9:07 pm

These people are misinformed and need to be educated. They’re so far to the right they they’re willing to vote for anyone but Barack Obama.

they are all rich DEMS and REPUBS !! the only way out of This is GOOD Paying JOBS anywhere from 80k-275k. Cost of living is high JOBS create taxes. Most pols are millionaires in DC after two terms. the only redemption we have is it is all going to crash !!!